Railway-spike holder.



A. A. MACDONALD.

RAILWAY SPIKE HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED AIJG.Z1, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. A. MAcDQNALD. RAILWAY SPIKE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1911.

1,052,603, Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nirn s sic RAILWAY-SPIKE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

Application filed August 21, 1911. Serial No. 645,186.

' 5 of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements inRailway-Spike Holders, of which the following is a 'full, clear, andexact description. i

This invention relates to improvements 10 in railway spike holders, andthe object-is to provide a simple and effective device for preventingthe loosening of railway spikes. Itis well known that this loosening isdue mainly to two forces. The first ofthese is the bending of the railas the wheelspass over the unsupported portion between the ties, and thesecond is the cutting o-fthe rail into the tie so that the rail dropsaway from the heads of the spikes.v There is.in

addition to these the everpresent factor of vibration, and also, incertain countries, of frost. This invention aims to overcome the actionof these forces by placing a solid member between the heads of thespikes and the under side of the rail head, so that as the railgradually sinks the spikes will be forced down and thus hold the railtightly to the ties. In the drawings which illustrate thisinvention:1*igure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a rail showing thespike holder in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedevice. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing a slightmodification. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a'rail of any suitablecross-section, 6 the tie on which it rests and 7 the spikes holding therail to the tie. The invention consists of a short bar 8, of metal,rolled or otherwise formed to the cross-sectionshown on the right handside of Fig. 1, this section being taken on the line BB of Fi 2;2'. 6.,through the body of the bar. This bar is made in various sizesto fitthevarious rail sizes, and fits snugly between the head 9 and flange orbase 10 of the rail. On the lower face of the bar 8 is a groove 11shaped to receive the head 12 of the spike 7. The

outer wall of the groove is formed by a flange 13 of such depth that itis approximately in line with the lower face of the rail base. Atintervals along the bar, recesses 14 are formed for the reception of thenuts and heads of the bolts 15, as shown in the left hand side of Fig.1, the section place by means of the bolt '15.

being taken on the line AA of Fig. 2. The bolt 15 passes through thebars 8 and through theaperture 16 in the web 17 of the rail and attachesthe bars to the rail. The inner side of the bar which abuts the web ofthe rail is provided with a groove 18, such as1 is usually found in fishplates and the li (e.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the bars 8 are not recessed for thebolt heads andnuts as the nuts lie a ainst the outer sloping faces ofthe bars an the bolts themselves pass in an inclined direction throughlines in Fig. 42. These latter constructions have the advantage thatthey do not weaken the rail web by necessitating'bolt aperturestherethrough at frequent intervals, while, at the same time, they holdthe bars 8 securely in place so that the web of the rail is supportedthereby fully as much as in the form first described.

In order that the railways track inspectors may readily detect spikeswhich are broken I provide slots 19 out angular-1y through the flange 13of the bar 8 through which the back and one side of the spike may beseen, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. By cutting the slots angularly twosides of the spike are exposed, whereas if the slots were transverseonly one side would be exposed unless the slots were of considerablesize. These slots are preferably only a part of the depth of the flange13, so that the flange retains a good hold on the spike heads, as isbest seen in Fig. 2, this hold being necessary to prevent independentlateral movement of the rail and spikes. In the manufacture, this bar 8is preferably rolled to standard dimensions, and the recesses 14 andbolt apertures formed therein as desired. For ordinary use the barsarecut into short sections so as to nearly extend across the ties.Longer sections may, however, be made and used as fish plates.

- In laying a track, the rails are spiked '60,. the ties in the usualmanner. Short sections of the bar 8, each having, preferably, a, singlebolt aperture are placed on opposite.

sides of the rail and clamped tightly in As the groove 11 is formedthroughout the length slots 19 in the bar flanges.

the spikes down with the rail as the latter cuts into the tie, so thatthe rail is held tightly against the ties, and vibration thus materiallyreduced. As these bars are placed on opposite sides of the rail andbolted together, they form a tie between the spikes on both sides of therail, thus hold-' ing the rail from creeping laterally and drawing thespikes, as occurs at curves in the track. This device will alsolsupportand relieve the web of the rail'of much strain, especially at curves.The device may be used at every tie, or only on curves, as desired.

Havin declare t at what I claim is 1. In a railway spike holder,a-substantially triangular bar having one side thereofformed to abut theweb of a rail, and the second thereof formed to abut the flange of therail, said bar having a groove formed in the second side thereof toreceive spike thus described my invention, 1

heads, an integral flange forming the outer wall of said grooveextending belowthe body of the bar to approximately the level v of thelower face of the rail flange, the third side on said bar being providedwith recesscs and apertures for the reception of attaching bolts.

2. In a railway spike holder, the combination with a railway rail andthe spikes securing same of a substantially triangular bar, located oneach side of said rail, said bars being shaped to fit snugly between theflange web and underside of the head of the rail, and having a grooveformed therein for the reception of the spike heads, and boltsconnecting said bars through the rail.

' .3..In a railway spike holder, a bar located on each side of the railand extending 7 from the underside of the railhead to the spike head,flanges integral with said bars, positioned to prevent lateral movementof the spikes, and bolts connecting said bars through the rail.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

AROHIBALD A. MACDONALD. Witnesses:

STUART R. W. ALLEN, C. O. CARROLL.

